The Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Sampson Ahi, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to advancing drone and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies as key drivers of Ghana’s industrial transformation, job creation and export competitiveness.
Delivering a keynote address at the Drone Ignite Africa Summit 2026 in Accra on Tuesday 10the February, 2026 Hon. Ahi said Ghana was positioning itself to harness emerging technologies to accelerate inclusive economic growth.
He noted that drones and AI were no longer future concepts but “practical economic tools” already improving productivity and governance in critical sectors including agriculture, mining, infrastructure development, environmental protection and public safety.
Hon. Ahi explained that in agriculture, precision technologies such as crop monitoring, smart irrigation, targeted application and yield forecasting could significantly increase productivity while reducing costs and environmental impact.
He added that these innovations were also opening new employment opportunities for young people in agri-tech, geospatial services and data-driven solutions.
In the mining and industrial sectors, he said drone-based data and AI analytics were strengthening exploration efficiency, environmental monitoring, land management and compliance, while boosting investor confidence.
The Deputy Minister stressed that Ghana was determined to move from being a consumer of imported technologies to becoming a creator and exporter, supported by regulatory clarity, innovation financing and regional collaboration under the AfCFTA.
He called on the private sector, academia, development partners and young innovators to collaborate with government in building a technology-driven industrial ecosystem.
In his address, Mr Derrick Annan, Co-Founder and CEO of Axis Drone Surveys, encouraged young people to embrace drone technology as an emerging career path.
Other speakers also highlighted the role of drones in strengthening institutional capacity, supporting innovation and improving data collection in mining communities to promote responsible mining.
